


Melting Off

by tatersalad5001



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: ( for arc v ), Alternate Universe, Gen, Post-Canon, Spoilers for Episode ......84(?) of Vrains, background hot dog gang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 09:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17505914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatersalad5001/pseuds/tatersalad5001
Summary: Does Yusaku not trust him as much as he thought Yusaku did?But, no, that's not the only other thing bothering him, either.Takeru doesn’t notice the pole in front of him until it’s too late to avoid or stop. At the last second, a hand reaches out and grabs his, pulling him away from the pole and avoiding a collision.





	Melting Off

**Author's Note:**

> Time for our weekly scheduled vent fic. Feeling like this is ridiculous but rather than talk to anyone let’s just bottle it all up and make this I guess. Help me turn of bad emotions so I can feel less, unwanted and left out when anyone does literally anything, because I’m annoying and an overreactive loser but at least I’m doing my best not to, hurt anyone because of it, you know?
> 
> If you’re used to seeing return from the different dimension universe content (miracle synchro fusion) from me, this is not that. I put zero thought into how this works, but this is definitely not that.
> 
> It’s been so long I remember so little about how Dennis talks and I apologize. I’ve done my best! Sorry

"I'm going for a walk," Takeru mumbles, so that it's not a mystery why he's about to disappear.

"What if--" Kolter starts to say.

"Just call me if you need me." He doesn't have his duel disk on him. Flame needs to stay here, where they are, but Takeru still has his phone on him. His old, outdated phone that Flame has been painstakingly teaching him how to use. He knows enough to answer a call by now.

"What's your--" Yusaku begins to ask.

"Flame has my number." Takeru pushes the door to the back of the truck open with one hand, his other hand shoved in his pocket.

Yusaku and Kolter are still working on the Tower of Hanoi. Reworking it to track down Lightning. Reworking it along with Blue Maiden, Ghost Gal, and Revolver. Working  _with_ the Knights of Hanoi. Takeru still doesn't like any of this. Working with Hanoi, working with the group responsible for what happened a decade ago. Even if Yusaku had defeated the Knights' last scheme and gotten his revenge, that didn't mean anything about Takeru. But Takeru had agreed to Revolver's request to hold onto his anger and wait to settle things until after Lightning and his group were defeated. And he was holding that up. He doesn't like working with Revolver, but he can be civil about it for now. He can wait.

It's not the only thing bothering him.

Takeru feels stupid about it now, really. He'd made some assumptions that clearly weren't true. 

He'd had no idea who Revolver actually was, even though Yusaku and Kolter had already known. He'd had no idea who'd actually been behind the Lost Incident, even though Yusaku and Kolter had already known. And he'd had no idea that that person was now deceased, even though Yusaku and Kolter had already known. He only knew any of it now because Revolver had asked to meet them and started sharing information with Takeru himself. Yusaku knew Takeru was one of the victims of the incident, and Takeru had been upfront with him from the beginning that he was Soulburner, too. Takeru hadn't exactly shared every detail of his past after the incident with Yusaku, but Yusaku knows enough that Takeru feels he deserves to know that information. That Yusaku should know that he deserves to know.

Does Yusaku not trust him as much as he thought Yusaku did?

But, no, that's not the only other thing bothering him, either.

Takeru had been starting to feel like a partner to Yusaku. In a different way than Kolter, of course, but like he still made up an equal-sized piece in the puzzle. He could hold his own in a duel, he’d proven that, and Yusaku had made sure to save him whenever he was in trouble, had shown concern about him. Takeru had wanted to think that meant somethinf, but... In times like this, it’s obvious how wrong he was.

Takeru’s used to not being able to help with anything technical. He doesn’t know the first thing about computers, let alone hacking. But when something like this is his main focus, he really does feel useless. Out of place. He came all this way to help Playmaker, but how much was he actually helping? Flame fit into the group better than him; he’d left Flame behind for a reason, Flame could still help out with the Tower. 

Yusaku would glare at the screen, Kolter would nudge him witg his elbow and say something, Ai or Flame would add something to that, and the four of them would laugh, Yusaku’s expression softening, at some joke in there that Takeru wouldn’t get. Or some joke he would get, but couldn’t find funny. Maybe he would think it was, if this horrible feeling wasn’t settling in his stomach. It grew worse the longer he sat in the truck.

Eventually, he’d needed to clear his head. He has too much on his mind, too many things bothering him. So, here he is, walking outside. Whatever this was, he could figure it out on his own. Everyone else is busy and stressed over everything else going on, the last thing he needs to do is pile on his own feelings and make things worse.

One of his hands runs through his hair, pushing it out of his face. 

Why can’t he get rid of the emotion coursing through his veins? It isn’t helping anything. And he doesn’t want to feel like this. He knows half his thoughts are tricks of his mind anyway. Kolter and Yusaku trust him, to some degree at least. He isn’t really useless to everyone. So why does he feel so...so...

Takeru doesn’t notice the pole in front of him until it’s too late to avoid or stop.

At the last second, a hand reaches out and grabs his, pulling him away from the pole and avoiding a collision.

”Someone’s got their head in the clouds,” a voice behind him says. “Careful.”

Takeru spins around to face his rescuer. “Sorry. Thanks.”

”It’s no trouble at all,” his rescuer assures him. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Dennis.”

”...Takeru.”

The turmoil swirling in Takeru’s head must be obvious on his face, because Dennis is studying him. “Are you alright?” he asks after a moment. “You look like someone’s rained on your parade.”

”Oh, it’s nothing,” Takeru replies. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

”It doesn’t look like nothing.” Dennis realizes he’s still holding Takeru’s hand, and lets him go. “I don’t mean to pry, you don’t have to tell me anything. The look on your face just reminds me of...nevermind.”

Takeru stares at him. This is a complete stranger, but... Dennis’ face is radiating nothing but concern. Takeru had meant to just got over his feelings himself, but maybe an outside perspective on the vague details of it could help.

So, once he’s deliberated it, Takeru opens his mouth. “You ever feel like... I guess, like you’re not wanted somewhere? Like you don’t belong somewhere, or like you just don’t...fit in, I guess?” He’s not sure which one he reallys feels the most, he just let the words tumble out.

Dennis looks him over again. “Left out. Or... not trusted.”

Takeru nods.

”I see. The look on your face... You reminded me of myself.” Dennis looks away, staring up at the clouds in the sky. Takeru keeps his eyes on him. “I made truly good friends, once. Friends I betrayed. I thought I could never be with them again, even though in the end, it’srhe one thing I wanted most. I felt like I’d thrown away my ticket, and as they moved forward, I felt like I was being left in the dust.”

”I didn’t betray anyone,” Takeru says. “But maybe I’m not as trusted as I thought before. And, well, it just feels like everyone else gets along better with each other than I do. They work together better. And as they do things that I can’t, and time passes on...”

”You feel left out,” Dennis confirms. “Do they know that?”

Takeru shakes his head. “It won’t help anything if I do. There’s so much to worry about, this doesn’t matter that much.”

”Ah, but it does, Takeru.” Dennis’ gaze snaps down to make eye contact with Tskeru once again. “Your feelings are important, too. If you don’t want to tell them, that’s your call. But can I tell you something?”

Takeru nods.

Dennis looks up again, a frown on his face. “After what I did, I didn’t think I deserved friends. I believed the friends I’d turned on would want nothing to do with me, so I let them go on without me. I thought it was for the best. But it turned out I was wrong. The distance between us had been my own creation. There was still a place for me with them, ans they wanted me to fill it. I just hadn’t given our friendship enough credit.”

”They still trusted you. They still wanted you around,” Takeru notes.

”Give the bonds you have with the people around you more credit,” Dennis suggests. “Don’t let this create a self-fulfillimg prophecy. Make the effort to close the gap between you. Become a bugger part of things, don’t pull away. If they want you around, they’ll be glad to have you. If not, well, surely they’ll let you know. Isolation never did anyone any favors. Not me, at least. I just made things worse until I had some sense knocked into me.”

”I could do with that.” Takeru smiles bitterly. “Maybe then I could stop thinking all these things that aren’t true.”

”Tell those thoughts to take a hike.” Dennis blinks slowly, pausing to think. “I still have those kinds of thoughts, too, I dream about if it often, but by throwing myself into living and into my friendships, it’s easier to ignore them. One of my friends figured out how I felt pretty quickly, too. He helps, when he can.”

Dennis looks down with a quick laugh. “Of course, no one’s experience is universal. You don’t have to do all that, and it might not work for you. But not pushing away from everyone could be a start.”

Takeru thinks about how he just left everyone in the truck, and looks away. The distance, talking to someone else, even if he’d only just met Dennis, is helping now. But eventually, the distance will just hurt worse, he can tell. Surely he can find some other way to help or be involved, since he’s a disaster with computers.

Flame had pointed out once that Revolver hadn’t needed to discuss the Tower of Hanoi plan with him. Yusaku and Kolter didn’t need him there. But if they wanted him gone, surely they’d tell him to leave them alone. 

“...I think I’ll work on that,” Takeru decides. “Once I’ve had more space.”

More time away still feels like a good idea now. The idea of going back still hurts, but... He can’t stay away forever, and he knows he won’t. He still has a place there, where he’s wanted.

”Good luck,” Dennis tells him. “I’m sure you’re a better friend than I, and you’ll be more wanted than you think. Minds like to play tricks on some of us, sometimes. But I’ll be rooting for you to find a script that works and stick to it.”

Takeru nods. “You, too. Not everything’s so unforgivable, especially if you regret it.”

His mind wanders to Revolver for a moment, and he shakes it out of his head.

”I realize I’m still a stranger, but if you want more time away,” Dennis offers, “One of my friends has a duel coming up, if you’d like to see. It’s sure to take your mind off things, he’s a great entertainer.”

”Sounds fun. I’ll take you up on that.”


End file.
